Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to Vice President Joe Biden, a man who has dedicated his life to serving our country, working across the aisle whenever he can, and always doing his best to get things done for the American people. I am…

I support the Administration's recent action to deny the current route and evaluate other alternatives.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for giving me this extra time, and thank you very much for weighing in on what I think is a really critical issue for us to deal with.

So where that takes me is that in areas of significant interest by Congress or the public, there needs to be an additional venue where this original security classification decision can be reconsidered in the light of broader issues.

One thing this committee ought to be able to agree on today is that there have been some abusive and predatory practices occurring against our men and women in the military.

While we must improve Federal law to create stronger legal deterrence, we also need to change the hearts and minds of art collectors and dealers who may have engaged in this activity.

I hope that we'll see it finalized quickly in November when we return for the lame-duck session.

I'm proud of my work with tribes in New Mexico and across Indian Country to craft this legislation.

Well, we really appreciate your efforts and, as you know, the Acoma Shield is one of the many instances where the deeply important cultural items have been sold internationally.

They succeeded.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Ms. Keeler. And I thank all the witnesses today for their testimony.

this is incredibly important to protect tribal identity for future generations.

We urge you to take advantage of this opportunity. The Navajo Nation and Indian Country are grateful for your service and long-term vision and wisdom on this matter.

Thank you very much, Dr. Schaaf. Really appreciate it.

By passing these cultural protection laws, Congress will take another step in making history in its endeavor to make the Navajo Nation and all tribes across the country whole after experiencing the erosion of their cultural identities.

we want you to be aggressive and to go after the wrongdoers at every opportunity.